Ultra running legend and INOV8 athlete Damian Hall fulfilled a long-held dream by winning the 268-mile Spine Race, with team-mate Jack Scott finishing by his side in second place.
Damian completed 'Britain's Most Brutal Race' in 84 hours 36 mins to set a new men's course record for what is undoubtedly one of the world's toughest ultramarathonevents.
Damian and Jack touch the wall together at The Border Hotel, the end of the race. Photo by inov-8
The 47-year-old said: “It has been a long-held dream to win the Spine Race. I first did it in 2014 finishing 4th but never thought I was someone who could win it. Then last year I did think that but retired after 180 miles with an injury. That really frustrated me, and that feeling has been bubbling away for the past 12 months. I wanted to come back this year and do better. Jack pushed me incredibly hard for the win and I'm really pleased that between us we ran the second than third fastest times for the course.”
Damian ran into the finish at Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders - the end of the mountainous Pennine Way trail - alongside fellow INOV8 athlete Jack, the pair having battled it out through deep snow, icy winds of -15C and energy-sapping mud since leaving Edale, Derbyshire, on the Sunday morning.
The first two finishers in the 2023 Spine Race share a post-race beer. Photo by inov-8
Jack had earlier incurred a 48-minute time penalty for an accidental navigation error that resulted in him taking a shortcut. That was cut to 41 minutes when he gained a 7-minute time credit for helping a fellow runner in need. This penalty was added to his time at the finish, meaning he finished in a brilliant second place with a time of 85 hours 16 mins - the second fastest man since the event started in 2012.
The 28-year-old, who like all the runners had to de-ice his shoes with warm water at checkpoints such were the freezing conditions, said: “I'm feeling awesome, it was an amazing three-and-a-half days. I was blessed to have the opportunity to run with Damian, and to race him. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and Damian fully deserves first place.
Damian battling savage winter conditions during the race. Photo by Steve Ashworth
“I think we both only slept about 2 hours each throughout the race and at times the weather up on the tops was barbaric. Maybe we could have pushed closer to the overall course record if they had been better, but Jasmin's time (83 hours 12 mins) is awesome.”
The Spine Race is notorious for its savage nature. Held in winter over remote mountainous terrain, runners carry their kit throughout and sleep only when they choose to. They ascend a total of 37,000ft along Britain's oldest National Trail - more than the equivalent height of Mount Everest from sea level. At the time Damian and Jack finished, almost 60 of the 158 starters had retired.
Then joint-leaders Damian and Kim Collison on the Pennie Way trail. Photo by Steve Ashworth
Damian led from the start, setting a fast pace alongside Kim Collison, who retired after 125 miles. That left the door open for Jack to move into second place. He then briefly caught Damian at the Middleton checkpoint - 142 miles into the race - where they both refuelled and slept before heading back out onto the trail a couple of hours apart.
The veteran pressed on alone out front, summitting the highest point, Cross Fell at 893m and then running alongside Hadrian's Wall. Jack continued behind, catching Damian for a second time at the Bellingham checkpoint - 222 miles into the race. He did, however, take an accidental shortcut in doing so.
Jack then led up to the checkpoint at Bryness, before the pair came together again, and ran much of the final section over the Cheviot Hills stride for stride
They were met in Kirk Yetholm by a big crowd containing family, friends and supporters who all watched on as the two exhausted runners touched the famous wall of The Border Hotel at the same time, side by side. For Jack it was a first Spine Race completion, having previously failed to finish in 2020. For Damian it was a third finishers' medal.
An emotional Jack and Damian are cheered by family, friends and supporters at the finish. Photo by inov-8
Talking about the navigational error he made and the rescuing of a fellow runner in need, Jack - a running coach who found the sport while overcoming a gambling addiction - said: “I knew I'd made a mistake. I got to a micro-checkpoint a few miles later and told the medic if he could message the senior organising team to tell them I apologize for making a mistake that saved me about 25 minutes. I'm blaming the lack of sleep!
“The runner I helped was in one of the other Spine Race events and stranded in no-man's land above Greenhead. He was having trouble with his GPS unit and asked if I could help him. I showed him where we were and he was then able to follow me. I think the safety team then got him down off the trail. It was only 7-8 minutes and wasn't a problem.”
Damian, himself a running coach and also a climate-emergency campaigner, beat the previous men's record held by John Kelly, who ran 87 hours 53 mins in 2020. He fuelled on vegan-based foods and cups of tea during his epic adventure along the mountainous backbone of England. Jack was also well inside John's time.
Damian pushes through the snow on his way to victory in the 2023 Spine Race. Photo by Steve Ashworth
As one of the co-founders of The Green Runners - a running community making changes for a fitter planet - Damian used much of the same INOV8 kit he had 2022, plus the new ROCLITE ULTRA G 320 shoes. He wore the one pair for the whole race.
The dad-of-two from Wiltshire, England - who wrote the Pennine Way National Trail Guide in 2012 - has enjoyed a hugely successful ultra running career, having come to the sport later in life.
In 2021, he broke the record time for the 185-mile Wainwright's Coast to Coast trail across the breadth of Northern England. He also has the second-fastest time for completing the Pennine Way, having run it in 61 hours 35 minutes in the Summer of 2020 (his time was later bettered by John Kelly).
Jack also started in the ROCLITE ULTRA G 320 shoes but opted to switch into the X-TALON 255 during the race.
Let the de-icing commence! Damian's ROCLITE G 320 shoes get the warm weather treatment. Photo by inov-8
*Read more: Pre-race Q&As with Damian, Jack and Alison Walker.
*All photos courtesy of Steve Ashworth and the INOV8 team
